Nuechtegailchen
Luxembourgish
Alternative forms
- Nuechtigailchen (alternative standard), Nuechtegällchen (now dialectal)
Etymology
Diminutive in -chen of Middle High German nahtigal(e), from Old High German nahtigala, from Proto-West Germanic *nahtigalā. The unexpected diphthong perhaps through association with the verb geilen (“to mock”), from Middle High German gīlen. The song of the nightingale can sound a bit like laughter.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈnuə̯ɕtəˌɡɑɪ̯lɕən]
Noun
Nuechtegailchen f (plural Nuechtegailercher)